1981 Nissan Trucks Tire Fitment Guide

1981 Nissan Trucks vehicles use six sizes across the 720 and 720 Deluxe: 185R14, 700-14, 195R14, E78-14, GR78-15, and G78-15. The 185R14, 700-14, 195R14, and E78-14 mount on 14-inch rims, while the GR78-15 and G78-15 mount on 15-inch rims. Rim-width guidance is available for several of these sizes, including 185R14 at roughly 4.00 to 6.50 inches depending on product, 700-14 at 5.00 to 5.50 inches, E78-14 from about 4.50 to 7.00 inches depending on product, and G78-15 from 5.00 to 7.00 inches.

The key point is that year and make alone are not enough to choose a tire for a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup. Since both 14-inch and 15-inch sizes were used, you need to verify the wheel diameter on the truck first, then decide whether you want bias-ply or radial construction. After that, compare the tire’s approved rim-width range with the actual wheel before moving ahead.

On a 1981 Nissan Trucks tire, 700-14 is a traditional numeric bias-ply size. The 700 identifies the tire’s nominal section width in the older sizing system, and the 14 is the wheel diameter in inches. For this year and make, 700-14 appears as a bias-ply offering with blackwall and narrow whitewall versions, and the fitment range commonly centers on 5.00- to 5.50-inch rims.

That format matters because numeric sizes belong to an earlier tire language than modern metric radials. If your truck wears 14-inch wheels and you want a more traditional stance and feel, 700-14 is one of the period-style directions to consider. It should still be checked against the wheel that is actually on the truck, especially if the wheels may have been changed at some point in the vehicle’s life.

On a 1981 Nissan Trucks tire, 185R14 is a euro-metric radial size. The 185 is the section width in millimeters, the R identifies radial construction, and the 14 is the wheel diameter in inches. Within this year and make, 185R14 appears in blackwall and narrow whitewall versions from Michelin, Phoenix, and Vredestein, with H-rated examples carrying a 130 mph ceiling.

That makes 185R14 easier for a modern buyer to understand than the older alphanumeric and numeric sizes used on the same trucks. If your pickup has 14-inch wheels and you want a radial option, this size is one of the clearest routes to a more familiar metric-style tire. The next step is comparing sidewall style, tubeless marking, and approved rim-width range product by product.

For a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup on 14-inch wheels, the difference between 700-14 and 185R14 is mainly construction and character. The 700-14 is a bias-ply size with blackwall and narrow whitewall versions, while the 185R14 is a radial size available in blackwall and narrow whitewall styles from Michelin, Phoenix, and Vredestein. The radial group also includes H-rated versions, while the 700-14 offerings stay in the traditional bias-ply category.

Choose 700-14 if you are aiming for a more traditional period feel and appearance on a truck that you want to keep visually closer to earlier practice. Choose 185R14 if you want a 14-inch radial path and a more modern tire construction for regular road use. Either way, confirm the wheel width and sidewall style you want before narrowing to a specific product.

1981 Nissan Trucks tires come in several sidewall styles depending on size. The 185R14 range includes blackwall and narrow whitewall versions, 700-14 appears in blackwall and narrow whitewall, E78-14 spans blackwall and wide whitewall, and G78-15 also spans blackwall and wide whitewall. That means the same year and make can be set up with a plain utilitarian truck look or with a more stylized whitewall presentation.

For many compact pickups of this era, blackwalls are the most natural everyday choice, especially on work-oriented restorations and driver builds. Whitewalls can still make sense when a truck is being tailored to a specific period look or regional style, but they create a more deliberate visual statement. The best approach is to match the sidewall style to the way the truck will be finished and judged, rather than treating all sidewall designs as interchangeable.

1981 Nissan Trucks vehicles are covered by Michelin, Phoenix, Vredestein, BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, and STA across the available sizes. The 185R14 size comes from Michelin, Phoenix, and Vredestein; 700-14 comes from BFGoodrich; E78-14 comes from Coker Classic and STA; and G78-15 comes from Coker Classic and STA. That spread gives the year and make access to both radial and bias-ply families with a mix of blackwall, narrow whitewall, and wide whitewall appearances.

Brand choice should follow the size and construction you need first, not the other way around. Once wheel diameter and tire type are settled, the brand decision becomes a matter of sidewall look, intended use, and the overall style you want the truck to carry. A driver-focused 14-inch radial choice and a period-flavored 15-inch bias-ply choice solve different problems even when both fit the same year and make.

Rim-width guidance for 1981 Nissan Trucks varies by size and sometimes by product within the same size. The 185R14 range spans roughly 4.00 to 6.50 inches depending on the tire, 700-14 centers on 5.00 to 5.50 inches, E78-14 ranges from about 4.50 to 7.00 inches depending on version, and G78-15 uses 5.00 to 7.00 inches where that information is given. The broadest spread appears in the alphanumeric bias-ply sizes, where passenger-style and heavier-duty offerings can differ.

That is why wheel diameter alone is not enough when fitting a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup. Before selecting a tire, measure or verify the wheel width on the truck and compare it to the approved range for the exact tire you are considering. Staying inside that range helps preserve proper section shape, tread contact, and the intended mounting profile.

Inner-tube requirements on 1981 Nissan Trucks tires depend on the exact tire, not just the size code. The 185R14 range includes tubeless-marked products, while one E78-14 STA Traxion version is explicitly tubeless. Other products in sizes such as 700-14, E78-14, and G78-15 do not carry a uniform tube marking across the range, so tube status varies by product rather than by year and make as a whole.

The practical takeaway is to check the sidewall marking and the wheel type together before installation. A truck with original-style wheels, an older rim profile, or a tire without a clear tubeless marking may need a more careful setup decision than a modern wheel and a clearly marked TL tire. Matching the tire, wheel, valve hardware, and intended use matters more than assuming all tires in one size behave the same way.

A 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup should be stored out of direct sunlight, away from ozone-producing equipment such as motors and chargers, and in a dry, stable environment. Keep the tires clean, maintain inflation, and move the truck periodically so one section of the tread is not carrying the load for months at a time. Bias-ply tires can flat-spot more readily during long static storage, while any older-style collector tire can suffer sidewall aging if left exposed to heat and ozone.

If the truck will sit for an extended season, many owners either roll it occasionally or support it in a way that reduces prolonged load on the tires. That matters even more if your 1981 Nissan Trucks setup uses bias-ply sizes such as 700-14, E78-14, or G78-15. Good storage habits preserve both appearance and ride quality when the truck returns to service.

Tires on a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup should be judged more by age and condition than by mileage alone, especially on collector and hobby-use vehicles. A sensible rule is to begin close inspection once tires reach about five to seven years of age and to treat around ten years as a serious replacement point regardless of remaining tread. The DOT date code and the tire’s physical condition together tell a more useful story than odometer miles on a low-use vintage truck.

That approach is especially important when a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup spends long stretches parked between drives. Sidewall cracking, hardening, and loss of flexibility can appear well before the tread is worn out. Even a truck that looks lightly used should have its tires evaluated on time, because age-related deterioration often matters more than tread depth on an older vehicle.

Tires on a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup should be checked before every drive and given a more thorough inspection before any longer outing. Look for visible cracking, bulges, cuts, irregular wear, and signs that the tire is losing air between uses. On setups where tube-type service may apply, valve stems and the wheel’s sealing condition deserve the same attention as the tread and sidewall.

That routine matters because older trucks are often driven less often, which can hide a problem until the day the truck is finally taken out on the road. A quick inspection each time you use the pickup is far easier than dealing with a roadside failure. Pressure, sidewall condition, and the state of the spare should all be part of the habit.

For a 1981 Nissan Trucks 720, both bias-ply and radial sizes appear within the year-and-make range, including 14-inch and 15-inch options. By 1981, radial tires were already well established in the compact truck market, but bias-ply sizes still remained relevant in restoration and replacement circles. That means the correct starting point is to confirm the truck’s actual wheel diameter and then compare the tire size on the truck, factory references, and marque-specific information for the exact configuration.

If originality matters, use the size and construction that align with your truck’s specific setup rather than assuming every 1981 Nissan Trucks 720 wore the same tire. A truck restored for factory-style presentation may call for a different choice than one rebuilt as a usable driver or customized pickup. Nissan truck specialists, original literature, and marque clubs are the best way to verify market- and configuration-specific details before finalizing a show-oriented tire choice.

Correct tire fitment absolutely matters when a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup is judged for authenticity. Size, construction type, sidewall treatment, and overall visual character all affect whether the truck looks right for its era and intended presentation. A radial where a judge expects a period-style bias-ply, or a wide whitewall where a work-oriented compact pickup would normally carry a blackwall, can change the impression immediately even if the tire physically fits the wheel.

That does not mean there is only one acceptable answer for every 1981 Nissan Trucks build. A stock restoration, a regional custom, and a practical driver may each point to a different tire style within the available range. If the truck is being prepared for formal judging, review the event’s standards and compare them with Nissan-specific restoration guidance before settling on size, construction, and sidewall style.

For 1981 Nissan Trucks applications, Coker Classic and STA overlap in the E78-14 and G78-15 bias-ply sizes but serve different visual and use-case directions. Coker Classic appears in wide whitewall form, while STA appears in blackwall truck-oriented versions such as Traxion, Transport Highway, and Super Traxion. Where load information is present, the E78-14 STA Traxion carries a higher working-pressure and load-oriented profile than the whitewall Coker Classic E78-14, reflecting the different character of the two lines.

That distinction helps you choose by purpose instead of by brand name alone. If the truck is being restored with a more stylized or period passenger-car-influenced look, the Coker Classic whitewalls make visual sense. If the goal is a tougher blackwall appearance with a more utilitarian truck flavor, the STA options are the more natural fit.

1981 Nissan Trucks tires can be appropriate for highway use when the size, condition, inflation, and construction all match the truck and its intended speed. Among the radial 185R14 products, H-rated versions carry a 130 mph ceiling, which is far beyond the normal operating range of a compact 1981 pickup. Bias-ply options do not carry the same modern speed-marking profile in this range, so they should be treated as traditional tires whose use should reflect the truck’s age, loading, and driving style.

In real-world use, the truck’s own braking, suspension, steering, and overall mechanical condition are often more important than raw tire speed capability at ordinary highway speeds. A well-sorted 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup on correctly fitted, properly inflated tires is what matters most. Highway confidence comes from the complete condition of the vehicle, not from assuming any reproduction or vintage-style tire overrides the truck’s original-era limitations.

Inflation pressure on 1981 Nissan Trucks tires depends on the exact size and tire. Load-and-pressure examples include 185R14 at 1,323 pounds with either 35 psi or 51 psi depending on product, 700-14 at 1,360 pounds at 32 psi, E78-14 at 1,400 pounds at 32 psi for one version and up to 1,710 pounds at 60 psi single-load for another, and G78-15 at 1,620 pounds at 32 psi where that figure is given. Those numbers belong to specific tires and should not be transferred from one size or product family to another.

Use the truck’s factory literature as your baseline for the vehicle’s intended inflation targets, then compare that guidance with the tire maker’s specifications for the exact tire you are using. Reproduction and specialty tires can differ significantly even when they share a size code. The right answer comes from matching the truck, the tire, and the way the vehicle is loaded and driven.

Before a longer drive in a 1981 Nissan Trucks pickup, inspect every tire for cracking, cuts, bulges, uneven wear, and proper cold inflation. Check the spare as carefully as the four road tires, and pay close attention to valve stems and wheel condition if the setup may involve tube-type service or older rims. A tire that looks acceptable during local use can become the weak link once heat and distance begin to build.

Tires are only one part of the pre-trip routine on a truck of this age, but they are the first place to start because they directly affect stability, braking, and carrying capacity. After the tire check, continue with the usual vintage-vehicle basics such as brakes, fluids, steering feel, and lights. A longer outing is much more enjoyable when the truck and its tires are both prepared for the distance.